Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-03-03
To nv Young Friends 'Bill and Tom"

To my Young Friends Bill and Tom.'
The Macedonian Empire, instituted by
Phillip of Macedon, and carried to the
SUPREMACY of it's power by his son, Alex
ander the Great, was the third great em-
pire of antiqmty-it is frequently allu-
ded to, by modern historians, as the Gre
clan Empire. The Kingdom of Mace
donia had existed for nearly 400 years,
or from about 760 B. c., bur had not ris-
en- to any considerable eminence; its in
habitants boosted of the same origin
with the Greeks, but they had but little
intercourse with the mother country and
we're considered by the latter as barba-
rans, especially by the Athenians and
rhebeans. L. was reserved to Phillip TO
bring the little kingdom out of its OBJ
security and give it the proud title by
which it has been known to succeeding
generations.
PHILLIP II, was born in the capital of
the kingdom of Maeedon, $50 b. C. At
the age of ten he was sent as a hostage
70 Thebes, and there enjoyed the adyar-
tage Of. "a Grecian education under the
instruction of the celebrated Thebean
sage and philosopher, Epaminondas. AT
the age of % he assembled the throne of
Macedon. He possessed great military
aud political talents and was eminently
distinguished for his consumate artiiice
and address. From the day he mounted
the throne he gave evidence of a design
to bring the States of Greece under his
dominion. In fnrtherence of this design
he cherished discussions among them,
and employed agents in each to have
every public measure directed to his ad
vantage. The first Sacred War between
he Grecian States, growing out of the
PhocIans cultivsting a fertile tract OF
land called the Cirrhaan plain, which,
it was maintained, was consecrated to the
Delphian Appolo, gave Phillip the OPP
portunity of bringing his power into f,:ll
contact with the Grecian States. He
proposed to act as arbitrator in the mat
ter in dispute, and procured his election
AS member of the Amphictyonic coun-
Gil. (Amphictyonic is Greek word
meaning jewellers around, neghbors."
and was applied to an assembly or coun-
Gil of deputys from the different States of
Greece Ten or twelve states were rep
resented in this assembly, which sat al
ternately at Thermopyla and Delphi.
Each city sent two deputies, one of whom
inspected the sacrifices and ceremonies
of religion; the other had the charge Of
deciding causes and differences between
private persons. The whole council de-
| cided disputes between the states, levied
war and concluded peace.1 The citizens
Of Athens, however, suspicious of the
designs OF Phillip, refused TO acknowi-
edge his election to the council, infuen-
ced by the eloquence of Demosthenes,
the most renowned orator of his day
They met Phillips army in Lacania and
compelled hun to retire. This reverse
ouly gave edge and determination to his
1
having encroached upon the eonsecrated
ground of Delphi, produced the second
sacred war. The Locrians, having refus,
ed to obey the decree of The Amphicty-
onic council, Phillip was invited, as their
general to vindIcate their authority by
| force Of arms. The Athenians and The.
beans, reused &c the utmost enthusiasm
by Demosthenes, united TO resist the
growing power Il this ambitious monarch
| The two armies met at ChRrOnea, and Of.
ter most obstinate and sanguinary bat.
tie, Phillip gained decisive victory
which secured to him the eLt re asenden-
dency in Greece. Phillip next projected
an invasion OF Persia, and made grand
preparations for the expedition. while
assisting in solemnizing the nuptuais OF
his daughter, he was assassinated by q
captain of his guards. His son, AlexsR,
der the Great, succeeded to the thone
and followed out his fathers plans, and
by his consumate generalship, overthrow
| the Persian Empire, and became the con-
luerer of the then civilized world.
CHAUcRE, the most celebrated of the
English poets, fourished in the latter part
of the 14th century, in the reign of Ed
~gId Ill and Richard III. But English
classical literature may be considered AS
| beginning in the latter half ofthe 10Th CEN
Jury, during the reign of Elizabeth. with
Hooker, learned divine, Spencer aud
shakespeare, eminent poets, and Bacon,
the philosopher, who also lived through
the reign of James /. The reiga of Queen
Anne in the beginning of che 18th century,
vas particularly distinguished for men OF
genius, among whom were Newton, Ad-
iison, Pope and Swift. The idea of the
value OF a standing army in protecting
the commonwealth of England, was first
fully demonstrated by Cromwell.
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